What the $2.9tn data centre pipeline means for delivery

Demand for artificial intelligence, cloud services and high-performance computing is driving a significant expansion of global data centre infrastructure.

GlobalData’s Project Insight: Global Data Center Construction Projects, Q2 2026 report tracks a worldwide pipeline worth approximately $2.9 trillion. It covers large-scale projects valued above $25 million, from pre-planning through to execution.

The headline figure demonstrates the scale of ambition across the sector. It does not, however, represent $2.9 trillion of confirmed construction.

Almost two-thirds of the pipeline remains at an early stage. Converting those plans into operational capacity will depend on access to power, suitable land, cooling, equipment, approvals and specialist people.

The Americas dominate global activity

The Americas account for approximately $1.64 trillion of the tracked pipeline, making the region considerably larger than any other market covered by the report.

The United States represents around $1.48 trillion of that total, including approximately $392.7 billion in execution. Major developments are being planned and delivered across established and emerging data centre locations as operators respond to demand for AI-ready capacity and cloud infrastructure.

This expansion is taking place alongside rising construction and land costs, while power availability is influencing where projects can proceed. Locations capable of offering sufficient generation, grid capacity and dependable connections may gain an increasing advantage.

Latin America represents a smaller but developing part of the market. GlobalData identifies Brazil as its largest tracked market, followed by Argentina and Mexico.

Europe has a substantial but planning-heavy pipeline

Europe has approximately $602.2 billion in tracked data centre projects.

Around 70% of this value is in pre-planning or planning, while approximately 12% is in execution. This creates a significant difference between proposed investment and capacity currently being constructed.

The UK leads Europe with a pipeline valued at around $145.5 billion. Spain follows at $103.2 billion, with Germany, Finland and France also showing substantial activity.

Each market offers a different combination of power availability, connectivity, climate, land, regulation and access to technical talent. These factors will help determine which projects progress and where future capacity is concentrated.

Europe’s sustainability expectations also make energy efficiency, responsible water use and land use important considerations. Data centre development must increasingly be planned as part of the wider energy system rather than as an isolated property or technology project.

Regional pipelines are developing at different speeds

South and South-East Asia and Australasia have a combined pipeline valued at approximately $314.3 billion.

India leads this group at around $118 billion, followed by Australia at $70.2 billion and Malaysia at $50.9 billion. Approximately 70% of the regional total remains in pre-planning or planning, suggesting considerable potential activity if projects continue to advance.

North-East Asia has a smaller overall pipeline of approximately $205.6 billion, but a greater proportion has reached later development stages. Around $109.1 billion is in pre-execution or execution, led by activity in South Korea and China.

The Middle East and Africa also have a comparatively advanced pipeline. Of the region’s $147.2 billion total, around $96.3 billion is in pre-execution or execution.

Saudi Arabia and the UAE account for most of that value. Public investment and public-private funding also play a larger role in this region than they do across the predominantly privately financed global market.

These differences matter. A large early-stage pipeline signals long-term opportunity, while a concentration of projects in pre-execution and execution can create more immediate pressure on supply chains and workforce availability.

Power is becoming a location strategy

Data centres require dependable electricity at considerable scale. As power demand rises, grid capacity is becoming a central consideration in site selection and project planning.

Developers must assess whether sufficient power is available, how quickly connections can be secured and how future demand will be supported. Renewable generation, storage and flexible energy use may all become more closely connected with data centre development.

Cooling presents a related challenge. Higher-density computing environments generate more heat, increasing the need for effective thermal management. Technologies such as liquid cooling may help support greater computing density, but they also require appropriate design, installation and operational expertise.

Water availability and environmental impact will remain important, particularly in markets where communities and industries are already competing for limited resources.

Planned spending will test delivery capacity

GlobalData estimates that annual spending across the tracked pipeline could reach $592 billion in 2027.

That projection assumes all projects proceed as planned and expenditure is distributed evenly over their construction periods. In practice, projects can be delayed, redesigned or cancelled as market and delivery conditions change.

Even so, the forecast demonstrates the potential pressure facing contractors, consultants, manufacturers, utilities and specialist professionals.

The sector will need to deliver complex infrastructure while competing with energy, advanced manufacturing and other major industries for many of the same technical capabilities.

Specialist people will connect energy and digital infrastructure

Data centre construction brings together a broad range of disciplines, including:

• Electrical and mechanical engineering

• Power systems and grid connections

• Cooling and thermal management

• Civil and structural construction

• Controls and building-management systems

• Testing and commissioning

• Project controls and commercial management

• Operational engineering and maintenance

Securing individual specialists is only one part of the workforce requirement. Employers must assemble teams capable of coordinating interconnected systems through design, construction, commissioning and operation.

This makes early workforce planning increasingly valuable. Organisations that understand the capabilities they will need at each project stage can engage the market before demand becomes critical.

Retention also matters. Competition for experienced professionals is likely to extend beyond the data centre industry, particularly in electrical engineering, construction and energy infrastructure.

From proposed investment to operating capacity

The $2.9 trillion pipeline points to considerable confidence in the continued growth of digital infrastructure.

Its eventual impact will be determined by execution. A project in planning still needs appropriate land, power, approvals, equipment, capital and people before it can support digital services.

Data centre development is therefore becoming inseparable from energy and infrastructure strategy. The organisations best able to coordinate these elements will be better positioned to convert ambition into dependable capacity.

Samuel Knight supports organisations building teams across energy and digital infrastructure. To discuss your workforce requirements, contact info@samuel-knight.com.